High School Field Hockey: Wissahickon's Hibbs made everyone around her better

Anyone familiar with Wissahickon field hockey history — a history that includes having Katie O’Donnell, the best all-time player to ever come from Pennsylvania — knows that setting a new team record is extremely difficult if not virtually impossible. O’Donnell was that good and that dominant.

But, guess what — one of O’Donnell’s records was erased this season. Wissahickon’s Jackie Hibbs led her team deeper into the state playoffs than it had gone for years and, along the way, broke O’Donnell’s single season assist record.

In 2004, O’Donnell set the school record with 26 assists for the season. This year, Hibbs upped the ante — by a lot. The speedy senior midfielder logged 35 assists.

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With Hibbs leading the way, Wissahickon won the Suburban One League American Conference title, made it to the Final Four of the District One Class AAA semifinals and advanced to the second round of the PIAA Class AAA tournament. The Trojans finished with an 18-6 overall record.

As a result, the Trojans’ standout senior has been selected as the Times Herald’s 2012 Field Hockey Player of the Year.

“Jackie’s stick skills were amazing — her ability to bring the ball into the circle and dish it off,” said Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil. “She would find the open person or put a shot on goal that would create a scoring opportunity.

“Her assists were off the chart. She broke Katie O’Donnell’s record and that’s not something that is easy to do. And, in addition to having 35 assists, Jackie scored 15 goals herself.”

Hibbs has received a long list of post-season honors this year. She was a First Team selection on the Suburban One League American Conference all-conference team. She was also named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Pennsylvania Region team and to the Pennsylvania High School Field Hockey Coaches Association Class AAA All-State first team.

“We really stepped it up and worked hard as a team this year,” said Hibbs. “We hadn’t made it past the first round of states for six years so this was a great season for us. This season was everything I expected.

“Our goal was to have fun and work together as a team. It was a great way to finish my senior season. We had great chemistry. There was no drama on the team. We all got along well — on and off the field. And, our coaches were great. They were really helpful.”

Hibbs expects to lay for more great coaches over the next four years at the University at Albany-SUNY. The Great Danes, who the 2012 America East Conference Field Hockey championship, are coached by Phil Sykes (head coach), Andy Thornton (associate head coach) and Michelle Simpson (assistant coach).

“I love the coaches there,” said Hibbs. “I love the way guys coach. I play club hockey at Xcalibur and the coaches there are guys too. When guys are coaching, they don’t get involved in the drama. They just play the best players they have.”

Coaches also love Hibbs.

“Jackie was a good team leader — which surprised me at first because when I left (coaching) two years ago she was a little tenth-grader,” said Gil, who returned as the Trojans’ head coach this season.

“She was a good leader because she expected a lot from herself and she expected a lot from her teammates. And, her teammates came through because they didn’t want to let her down.

“Jackie was everywhere on the field. She played defense for us. She played offense for us. She is going to be very hard to replace. She was the engine you can’t play without.”